Flower festival to usher in New Year

A giant picture of Khue Van Cac (Pavilion of the Constellation of Literature) made of thousands of dry flowers will be featured at the 2012 Flower Festival which begins on the evening of December 30 to celebrate the New Year.

The actual pavilion is located within Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature) in Hanoi.

The festival, entitled Rendezvous of Streets and Flowers, will be organised along Dinh Tien Hoang Street and around Hoan Kiem Lake with the contributions of artisans from throughout the nation.

According to Nguyen Khac Loi, deputy director of the Hanoi’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism which organises the event, the festival aims to entertain people, embellish the capital, promote tourism and honour the country's heritage sites.

Artisan Manh Hung will create "The Legend of Viet Nam" from flowers. The legend tells the story of Lac Long Quan and Au Co, the creators of the Vietnamese people.

Hoa Sao flower shop will highlight the beauty of ao dai (traditional dress of Vietnamese women) with flowers.

The Viet Phap Flowers Company will restore the image and the beauty of Ha Noi at dawn on Thanh Nien Road by the West Lake with horses-dawn carriages and flowers in the early dew.

The festival will also feature traditional music such as ca tru (ceremonial singing), cheo (popular traditional music), cai luong (renovated theatre), dragon dance and folk games along with a flower arranging competition.

The Embassy of Holland in Viet Nam, which is sponsoring the event, will offer the festival 4,625 pots of lilies.

The 90-minute opening ceremony will be held at 8pm on December 30 in front of the Ly Thai To Square. It will be broadcast live on the Hanoi television.

The festival will end on January 2 next year./. (Source: VNA)